UK Dive Sites - Inland Diving for Winter/Stormy Weather

[keri.lewis]

In the winter months - basically October to April - the UK sea conditions are often too rough for going to the offshore sites we all enjoy.

When this happens we tend to head for the quarries and lakes inland to allow practice and keeping skills polished.

Since I returned to the UK from living in Asia for 16 years, I have used the sites to dive all winter and keep my skills up to scratch. It's not great - but it's better than 6 months out of the water.

Conditions are often silty and if an open water course or a group of divers with poor trim and buoyancy are in the sites it can seriously deteriorate he visibility. In bad conditions viz can drop to 1-2 meters (3-6 feet).. sometimes worse - but it settles down fairly quickly to give 10 feet of viz.

As I live near the South Coast I tend to use the sites there.. I have no experience of the sites in the midlands and up North - I add them for those that travel to that region. The list is not comprehensive - but gives some options.

South/South West Inland Sites
Wraysbury - Outskirts of London
Horsea Island Dive Centre - South Coast Near Portsmouth
Vobster Quay - Bristol/Bath Area

Wales
National Dive Centre - Chepstow - Has real depth up to 80M/250Ft

Midlands
Stoney Cove Dive Centre

North of England
Capernwray

[Luke]

Hi Keri,

I am also having to utilise inland sites at the moment, your right they serve a purpose, keeping us diving and practising skills.

I have ended up trying to find alternative inland sites, as diving the same old sites not only get mundane but can also be restrictive (when max depth is 7m and vis is 1m-3m as the case is in my local pond). I decided to share these and created a web site with these inland dive sites described in it, so that it would be easier for other UK divers to find new locations to dive. There is a link to my website in my Signature below, it is still very much work in progress. If anyone knows of any sites that i have missed i would be really please to hear from them about the dive site, or even if they have anything to add to the current descriptions.


I see that you included Horsea Island, Is this open? I was under the impression it was closed, but this could have change? The old website is no longer on line. I had heard that the SETT (Submarine Escape Training Tank) might be reopened to the public but wasn't from a anyone in the know, so is probably just wishful thinking.

Vobster Quay has to be one of my favourites here in the south, but i have only dived it the once, as its a bit of a trek for me.

[Luke]

In the winter months - basically October to April - the UK sea conditions are often too rough for going to the offshore sites we all enjoy.

When this happens we tend to head for the quarries and lakes inland to allow practice and keeping skills polished.

Since I returned to the UK from living in Asia for 16 years, I have used the sites to dive all winter and keep my skills up to scratch. It's not great - but it's better than 6 months out of the water.

Conditions are often silty and if an open water course or a group of divers with poor trim and buoyancy are in the sites it can seriously deteriorate he visibility. In bad conditions viz can drop to 1-2 meters (3-6 feet).. sometimes worse - but it settles down fairly quickly to give 10 feet of viz.

As I live near the South Coast I tend to use the sites there.. I have no experience of the sites in the midlands and up North - I add them for those that travel to that region. The list is not comprehensive - but gives some options.

South/South West Inland Sites
Wraysbury - Outskirts of London
Horsea Island Dive Centre - South Coast Near Portsmouth
Vobster Quay - Bristol/Bath Area

Wales
National Dive Centre - Chepstow - Has real depth up to 80M/250Ft

Midlands
Stoney Cove Dive Centre

North of England
Capernwray

Hi Keri,

I am also having to utilise inland sites at the moment, your right they serve a purpose, keeping us diving and practising skills.

I have ended up trying to find alternative inland sites, as diving the same old sites not only get mundane but can also be restrictive (when max depth is 7m and vis is 1m-3m as the case is in my local pond). I decided to share these and created a web site with these inland dive sites described in it, so that it would be easier for other UK divers to find new locations to dive. There is a link to my website in my Signature below, it is still very much work in progress. If anyone knows of any sites that i have missed i would be really please to hear from them about the dive site, or even if they have anything to add to the current descriptions.


I see that you included Horsea Island, Is this open? I was under the impression it was closed, but this could have change? The old website is no longer on line. I had heard that the SETT (Submarine Escape Training Tank) might be reopened to the public but wasn't from a anyone in the know, so is probably just wishful thinking.

Vobster Quay has to be one of my favourites here in the south, but i have only dived it the once, as its a bit of a trek for me.

[diversrock]

I was wondering if anyone knew of any dive sites in North West Scotland? I have dived but not near home for a whiley so...